Artificial bait for fishing



April 20 1926,

C. E, BONNETT ARTIFICIAL BAIT FOR FISHING Fil-ed August 2, 1922 Patented Apr. 20, 1926.

UNITED STATES CLARENCE ELMOR BONNEIT, OIE NEW ORLEANS, LQUISINA.

ARTIFICIAL BAIT FOR FISHING.

Application flled August 2. 1922. Serial No. 579,304.

T0 (171 107mm zz maw convem:

Be it known that I. CLARENCE Enmonn BONNETT. a Citizen 01 the United Statos, residin g atNow Orlcuns, in the parish et Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented new and useful Improvemehts in Artificial Baits for Fishing. of which the. following Es a full. clear. and exact description.

The invention relates to artificiel baits for fishing and belongs to the class of articulated vibrating baits.

An object of the invention is to provide an artificiel bait having the lifc-like moremcnts of the natural hait.

A further object of the invention is to provide an articulated vibrating ba1t 111 which the vibration is caused by devices that resernble closely corresponding parts of the natural bait.

A further object of the invention is to provide, g,bait that is flexible enough to eurre around the fish that strikes the hait. with the result thatmore than one set of hooks can engage in that fish. V

Theinvention is described fully 1n the following speciflcution and accompanying drawings, as it relates to a minnow, although the principles may be applied to anv other artificial replica of the natural baits of game fish. In thedrawings,

Figure 1 is a top view of a minnow embodying the invention in one of its modifications. Figure 2 shows a top vieW of the minnow embodving the invention in its preferred form. Figure 3 is a top view showing a second modification'of the invention. Figure 4 shows a side view of a minnow embodying the invention.

Reference to the drawings in detail shows under the numeral 1 the primary retarder. This consists, in its projecting parts of two lobes or fins that project out from the sides and partly underneath the hait These lobes cr fins are cupped on the forward side and project forward at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the hait. This novel construction functions by ofi'ering a high degree of resistance to the water and the force of the line to draw the hait forward and out of the water. This resistance retards theforward action of the hait and causes the hinged-together sections of the hait to vibrato from side t0 side-a motion that closely resembles the life-like movements et a minnow. These retarders are attachcd near the forward end of the first section of the hait, and are preferably niade of she(e}t inetal. Shoot cclluloid also may be use In Figure '2, the preferred form of the secondary retarder is shown. The number 2 designates the wcdge-shaped rcarward end of the front section of the hait. This wedge shaped end serves tWo functions: (l) it allows the rear section to vibrate from side t0 side, and (:2) it permits the force of the water to strike directly against the cuphaped surface 5 of the rear section. This makes a secondary retarder and vibrator of the surface 5 of the rear section. This vibration is further dependent upon the hinge part 3, Which is preferably of the butts type, since that prevents a fiow of water through the joint and thus retains the force to act against the retarding surface and so promotes the secondary vibration. The retarding surface 4 may be left a square edge, as shown in Figure 1, or a retarding surface 7 may be attached to a wedge-shaped forward end 6, as shown in Figure 3.

In this invention, the rate of vibration depends upon the speed with Which the line is reeled in. WVhen the line is reeled in slowly, the hait vibrates slo1vly like a slowmoving minnow, but When the line is reeled in rapidly. the bait has all the rapid vibration of a frightened fish, and does not have the haphazard darting of the rigid type of wabbling baits. It has the natural pulse like vibration, such as can be produced only by the combination of primary and secondar v retardera In the construction of this artificial bait, the body of the minnow may be made of wood or other buoyant material or means, and the hooks be attached by eyelets that allow the hooks to swing freely.

I claim as new and my invention:

1. An artificial hait consisting of a forward section, a retarder consisting of two lobed-shaped projecting parts cupped on the forward side and projecting forward et an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the hait, extending ont oneach side and partly beneath the said forward section, said for- Ward section having a wedge-shaped rear end, a rear section hinged to. the wedge: shaped rear end of the forward section, retardin surfaces being formed on the forward en et the rear section and adapted to produce side to side vibrations when the hait is moved forward through the water, and hooks attached to both sections.

2. An artificial fish hait consisting of a forward section and a rear section, the rear portion of the forward section and the forward portion of the rear section being wedgeshaped and hinged together, the front portion of the forward section having a re- 10 tarder consisting of two lobed-shaped projecting parts that are cupped on the forward side and which extend out on each side and partly beneath said forward section, projecting forward at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of said forward section, a retarder consisting of two lobed-shaped parts extending at right angles from the axis of and attached to the rear section to the rear of the wedge-shaped portion, and hooks attached to both portions.

CLARENCE ELMORE BONNETT. 

